THE Government is accused of failing to meet its targets for reducing poverty and tackling unemployment and adult literacy.

Dr Sean Healy, director of Social Justice Ireland, said the Government and the EU have failed the poorest and most vulnerable and added that the numbers living in poverty have increased by almost 60,000.

Shortly after it came to power last year, the Government set itself targets for reducing unemployment and poverty, and improving adult literacy rates in Ireland, as part of the Europe 2020 Strategy.